Gov. Rick Snyder declares state of emergency in Genesee County following last week's flooding

GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Gov. Rick Snyder Friday declared a state of emergency in Genesee County stemming from last week's flooding, a designation that qualifies the area for state and federal help recovering from the storm.

More than 5 inches of rain pummeled parts of Genesee County overnight last Thursday. That's more than twice what the area normally gets in the entire month of May, a dose of severe weather that closed highways, displaced residents and left thousands without power.

“This declaration makes available all state resources that are needed to continue supporting local response efforts in ensuring our citizensremain safe,” Snyder said in a news release. “The state is committed to making sure all avenues for possible assistance are looked into to help assist the residents of Genesee County recover from the severe flood damage.”

Starting Monday, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials will join state and local officials to assess damage to homes and businesses in the hardest-hit areas of the county.

"With this declaration, the county and affected local municipalities could get needed funding to help pay for the costs associated with the flooding," said Rep. Joe Graves, R-Argentine Township, in a news release.

The results of this assessment will help determine whether the area qualifies for federal aid.

The assessment is an initial step in determining if state officials will ask federal officials to declare a national state of emergency, which would qualify the area for even more assistance.

Residents and businesses damaged by the flood are encouraged to have information on the state of their damages to better help the assesment. Information including location of flooding, insurance coverage and depth of floodwaters would be helpful, according to the Michigan State Police.

If people aren't available when assessment teams are in their area, officials ask they leave the information with a neighbor or at their front door.